هوى من سماء العز والمجد كوكب — Mufti Fathallah

هَوى مِن سَماءِ العزِّ وَالمجدِ كوكبُ

فَعَزّ عَلَينا أنّه الآن يغربُ

A star fell from the sky of honor and glory,

so it grieves us that it now sets.

فَقَد كانَ في العَلياءِ أَضوأَ كَوكب

بِأَرجائِها إِذ كانَ لَم يبدُ غيهبُ

For in the heights it was the brightest star,

throughout their reaches; while it was there, no darkness appeared.

وَقَد كانَ شَمساً لِلوِزارةِ وَالعُلى

تَحلّ ثريّا المَجدِ وَالسعدَ تَصحَبُ

And he was a sun for the vizierate and eminence,

dwelling in glory's Pleiades and keeping good fortune company.

وَزيرٌ عَظيمُ الشّأنِ وَالقدرِ وَالذّرى

وَجيه عَديم المثلِ شًهم مرجَّبُ

A vizier great in standing, worth, and lofty station,

distinguished, peerless, noble-hearted, revered.

مَهيبٌ جَميل البشرِ في حُسنِ سُؤدد

أَريبٌ أَديبٌ في الكِرامِ مُهذّبُ

Majestic, gracious of countenance, splendid in nobility,

astute and cultured, refined among the noble.

شُجاعٌ تَخافُ الأسدُ سَطوَةَ بَأسِهِ

وَمِن مَحضِ ذِكراه تُولّي وَتَهربُ

Brave: lions feared the force of his valor,

and at the mere mention of him they turned and fled.

فَلَو قامَتِ الحَرب العوانُ لَدى الوَغى

عَلى ساقِها فَهوَ الهِزَبرُ المجرّبُ

Were renewed war to rise amid the din of battle,

upon its feet, he would be the battle-tested lion.

وَكَم خَفَقت بِالنّصرِ راياتُهُ ضحى

وِبالفَتحِ عادَت حيثُما الفتح مطلبُ

How often his banners fluttered in victory at midmorning,

and returned with conquest wherever conquest was the goal.

حَليم فَما قَد شيمَ في الدّهرِ غاضباً

وَلَكِنّه للَّه قَد كانَ يَغضَبُ

Forbearing: never in his life was he seen angry,

yet for God's sake he did grow angry.

لَهُ الحِلمُ طَبعٌ وَالمَكارِمُ دَيدنٌ

دَواماً لَه حُسن الخَلائقِ مذهبُ

Forbearance was his nature, and noble deeds his constant habit;

good character was always his chosen way.

رَعى الذّئبَ وَالأَغنامَ إِذ كانَ والياً

فَكانَ مَعَ الأَغنامِ يلهو وَيَلعبُ

He tended wolf and sheep when he was governor,

so the wolf frolicked and played with the sheep.

وَقَد مَدَّ بِالمَعروفِ في النَّاسِ عَدلَهُ

وَوالٍ يمدّ العَدلَ والٍ محبَّبُ

He spread his justice among the people through benevolence,

and a governor who spreads justice is a beloved governor.

وَقَد مَدَّ في هَذي البِلادِ أَمانَهُ

فَلَم يَخشَ شَيئاً من يَجيء وَيَذهبُ

He extended his protection throughout these lands,

so whoever came and went feared nothing.

حَميدُ فِعالٍ في جَميلِ خَصائلٍ

بِأَذفر مِسك الشّكر كانَت تطيَّبُ

Praiseworthy in deeds, with beautiful qualities,

which were perfumed with gratitude's fragrant musk.

شفوقُ فُؤادٍ في غَزارَةِ رَأفَةٍ

بِها غَدَتِ الأَمثالُ في النّاسِ تضربُ

Tender of heart, overflowing with compassion,

for which proverbs came to be cited among the people.

وَذاكَ سُلَيمانُ السّليمُ طَويّةً

عَلى النيّة البَيضاءِ لِلنّاسِ يَدأَبُ

And that was Sulayman, pure at heart,

ever striving with white, pure intentions toward the people,

وَمن إِرْبُه للنّاسِ في الدّهرِ راحَةٌ

وَلَيسَ لَهُ في غَيرِها الدّهرَ مأربُ

one whose aim was comfort for the people throughout life,

and throughout his life he had no other aim.

دَعاهُ إِلى دارِ النّعيمِ إِلههُ

فَسارَ يُجِدُّ السّيرَ مِن حَيثُ يُطلبُ

His God called him to the abode of bliss,

so he set out, hastening his journey from where he was summoned.

وَلَبّى عَلى حبِّ اللّقاءِ لِرَبّهِ

وَحبّ لِقاءِ اللَّه للفَوزِ مُوجبُ

And he answered his Lord, longing to meet Him;

and love of meeting God brings salvation.

وَحَلَّ بِهِ داعي المنونِ بِسُرعَةٍ

وَحَلَّ بِنا ما قَد يسوءُ ويكربُ

And death's summoner swiftly came upon him,

and upon us came what grieves and torments.

وَصِرنا مِنَ الأَحزانِ مَع لَوعَةِ الحَشا

عَلى أسَفٍ فيها الكفوفَ نُقلِّبُ

And sorrow left us with our hearts burning,

turning our palms in grief amid those sorrows.

فَسيلي دُموعَ العَينِ مِن كلِّ مُقلَةٍ

عَلى مِثلِهِ تَجري الدُّموعُ وتسكبُ

Flow, then, O tears of the eye, from every eye;

for one like him, tears flow and pour forth.

وَصَبراً وَتَسليماً لِما اللَّه قَد قَضى

فَإِنّ لَنا التّسليم وَالصّبر أَصوَبُ

And have patience and submit to what God has decreed,

for submission and patience are the sounder course for us.

وَهَل مَوتهُ أَمرٌ يُحالُ وُقوعهُ

وَآباؤُنا ماتوا وَفي اللّحدِ غُيِّبوا

And is his death an event whose occurrence is impossible,

when our fathers died and were hidden in the grave?

وَإنّا وُلِدنا لِلمَماتِ وَلِلفَنا

وَأَعمارُنا مِنّا تهدُّ وتخربُ

And we were born to die and pass away,

and our years tear us down and lay us waste.

وَلَيسَ خُلودُ الخَلقِ في الدّهرِ واقِعاً

فَلَو كانَ ما ماتَ النبيّ المُطيَّبُ

And no created being lives forever in this world;

had it been so, the sweet-scented Prophet would not have died.

وَإِنَّ البقا للَّهِ جَلَّ جَلالهُ

وَلَيسَ لِذي نَفسٍ مِنَ المَوتِ مَهرَبُ

And eternity belongs to God—exalted is His majesty—

and no living soul has any escape from death.

عَلى أَنّ هَذا الشّهمَ حيٌّ وَلَم يَمُت

لِأَمرَينِ كلّ مِنهُما لا يكذّبُ

Yet this noble-hearted man lives and has not died,

for two reasons, each beyond denial.

سَمِعت ثَناءَ النّاسِ مِن كُلِّ ملّةٍ

عَلَيهِ بِما يُرضي المحبّ ويُطرِبُ

I heard the praise of people of every faith

for him, in words that please and delight those who love him.

وَأَبقى لَنا بَدراً يُضيءُ مُشَعشِعاً

وَيَبدو عَلى العَلياءِ لا شَيءَ يحجبُ

And he left us a full moon, shining radiantly,

appearing on high, with nothing to veil it.

وَذَلِكَ صِنوُ العزِّ وَالجاهِ شبلهُ

هِزَبرُ الشّرى المِقدامُ مَن لَيسَ يهربُ

And that is his cub, the twin of honor and prestige,

the bold lion of al-Shara, one who never flees.

أَبو المَجدِ عبد اللَّه عِزّ بَني العُلى

وَمَن فيهِ ذَيلُ الفَخرِ في الدَّهرِ يُسحَبُ

Abu al-Majd, Abd Allah, the pride of the sons of eminence,

and in whose honor pride's train is drawn through time.

أَبو الحلمِ وَالمَعروفِ وَالرّفقِ رأفةً

وَحبّ صَلاحِ النّاسِ إِذ فيهِ يرغبُ

Father of forbearance, benevolence, and compassionate gentleness,

and love for people's welfare, for that is what he desires.

خَدين الحِجى وَالرّأيِ وَالفَهم وَالذّكا

إِلى فِكرِهِ يَسعى الغويص ويُجْلَبُ

Companion of reason, judgment, understanding, and intelligence,

abstruse matters seek out his mind and are brought to it.

أَخو الجودِ وَالإِحسانِ لا يَسأَم العَطا

وَلَو زادَ بَل يَحلو لَديهِ وَيعذبُ

Brother of generosity and beneficence, he never tires of giving,

even when it increases; rather, it is sweet and delightful to him.

وَإِنّا لَنَرجو اللَّهَ وَاللَّهُ مُنعِمٌ

يَمنُّ بِما نَرجوهُ مِنهُ وَنَطلبُ

And we surely hope in God—and God is a giver of blessings,

granting what we hope for from Him and seek—

فَيَجعَلُهُ في ذي البلادِ وَزيرَها

وَحكمٌ لَه فيها يَدومُ وَمَنصِبُ

that He will make him the vizier of these lands,

and that his rule and office there will endure,

وَيَحبوهُ فيها دَولةً أَيَّ دَولَةٍ

بِمَوكِبِ عِزٍّ لا يُضاهيهِ مَوكِبُ

and grant him power there—what power!—

with a procession of honor no procession can match,

وَيَجعلُ فيها بابَهُ غَيرَ مُغلَقٍ

وَيَجعَلُهُ المفتوح ما بانَ كَوكَبُ

and make his door there never shut,

and keep it open as long as a star appears.

فَيا أَيّها الشّهمُ الّذي قَلَّ مثلهُ

عَلَيكَ بِحُسنِ الصّبرِ فَالصّبر أَنسَبُ

So, O noble-hearted man, whose like is rare,

hold fast to gracious patience, for patience is most fitting.

فَمَنْ ذا الّذي يَبقى مِنَ الخلقِ وَالوَرى

وَعَن عِلمِكَ السّامي فَما ذاكَ يَعزُبُ

For who among created beings and mankind remains?

And this does not escape your lofty knowledge.

أُعَزّيكَ فيهِ إِنَّ تَعزِيَةً بهِ

كَما ذَكروا مِن سُنَّةِ الدّينِ تُندبُ

I offer you condolences for him; indeed, condolence for his loss,

as they have said, is recommended by the tradition of the faith.

وَفي خَيرِ خَلقِ اللَّهِ لِلنّاسِ أُسوةٌ

وَفيهِ مُصاب النّاسِ أَعلى وَأَصعبُ

And in the best of God's creation the people have an example,

and their bereavement for him was greater and more grievous.

وَدُم في أَمانِ اللَّه بِالعِزِّ وَالهَنا

وَلا زِلتَ في نعمائِهِ تَتَقلَّبُ

And remain in God's protection, with honor and happiness,

and may you ever move amid His blessings,

وَتَحيا سَعيداً في الأَنامِ وَصيتكم

بِمِسكِ الثّنا وَالشكر مِنهُم يُطيَّبُ

and live happily among mankind, while your renown

is perfumed with the musk of their praise and gratitude,

مَدى الدّهر ما هَبَّت نَسيم مِنَ الصّبا

وَما كوكَبٌ يَبدو وَآخرُ يَغربُ

throughout time, as long as a breeze from the east wind blows,

and as long as one star appears and another sets,

وَما مِنبَرُ الأَغصانِ قَد قامَ فَوقَهُ

حَمامٌ بِحُسنِ السّجعِ يَشدو ويخطبُ

and as long as upon the branches' pulpit there stand

doves, singing and preaching in beautiful rhymed coos.